deaffriendly News

Though I was born deaf, I had very few opportunities to meet culturally Deaf, ASL-fluent peers until after college. As I began learning sign language for the first time, I noticed that many Deaf and hard of hearing people gravitated towards careers in tech.

What a stud! Can I say that? I look forward to watching Nyle DiMarco strike a pose every week on America’s Next Top Model (ANTM). It’s easy to focus on the obvious, Nyle DiMarco is beautiful. He’s on a show that celebrates beauty. I could stop right there.

Sometimes us staffers think Seattle is the center of the universe, or at least the birthplace of really cool things - deaffriendly.com, R.E.I., Microsoft, and Nirvana are just the tip of the iceberg. Our Ballard office is a hop and skip away from the actual Center of the Universe. We gush about local things, but get really excited when local goodness goes nationwide, such as the new Starbucks Mobile Order App which allows you to place your order using your mobile phone.

Deaf Awareness Week (DAW) is rolling around again, falling during the last week of September. It’s a great opportunity for businesses, organizations, and individuals alike to spread #deaffriendly awareness.

Do you know the people who are plugging in reviews on deaffriendly.com? Every quarter, we pick the brains of our most active reviewers. They are the words behind our deaf-friendly mission, the stars of our 1-5 star ratings, and the soul of this website.

It’s summer! There are music and theater festivals happening everyday, all day, all over the country. Have you received a request to accommodate a Deaf theater or concertgoer whom uses American Sign Language (ASL)? Making sure your event is accessible to them not only improves your customer service, it also fulfills your obligation under the civil rights law, Americans with Disability Act (ADA). If you are unsure how to provide a deaf-friendly experience at your festival for Deaf ASL users, here are some useful tips to get you started.

One of the most disempowering moments we experience as Deaf consumers is when we face relinquishing control over interpreters to those who don’t know our needs, are driven by corporate profits, and serving personal interests. It requires a leap of faith, every time when we request an interpreter at an unfamiliar doctor’s office or agency, in hopes they know how to secure an interpreter, that they use a reputable agency, and that the agency in turn uses qualified interpreters that fit our particular needs.

This week we are watching as the nation celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the signing of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law by then President George H.W. Bush. Current President Obama said, “Thanks to the ADA, the places that comprise our shared American life- schools, workplaces, movie theaters, courthouses, buses, baseball stadiums, national parks- they truly belong to everyone.”

PC problems ailing you (again)? Microsoft feels your pain: All of us have grappled with cat videos that take forever to buffer, pop-up ads that won’t quit, and Wi-Fi connections that keep quitting. We've put tech support on speed dial, for a good reason: Technology has brought #deaffriendly apps and telecommunication solutions bridging us to the hearing world.

We go to restaurants to celebrate milestones, to break bread with our loved ones, to create memories over a meal, and of course to eat good food. Deaf restaurant patrons are no different. When a restaurant understands the needs of Deaf customers and is willing to accommodate them, it elevates the experience from an average experience to an extraordinary one.